W/R REPORT: A semi-farewell to 'Queen Sarah'

The judge in the Delaware County jail case moves toward retirement; a local attorney's discipline case moves forward

It's hard to imagine the circumstances in which newspaper editors and political leaders alike were actively engaged in a feud with a federal court judge, but it happened here in Delaware County in the early 1990s.

That's why the news last week that U.S. District Court Judge Sarah Evans Barker was taking "senior judge" status - a kind of semi-retirement - and would be behind the bench in Indianapolis less frequently rang a few bells in Muncie.

For those who don't know or don't remember, Barker was the judge in Dunn vs. Carey, the federal court lawsuit over unconstitutional conditions in the Delaware County jail. The 1978 lawsuit led to the opening in 1992 of the Delaware County Justice Center.

But before the Justice Center opened came several years of construction hassles and legal battles, and Barker presided over all of it. As a matter of fact, Barker took control of the project away from Delaware County officials, who she saw as unwilling or incompetent. Barker even came to Muncie to take tours of the building as it was under construction, to personally see flaws that some had portrayed as evidence of the corruption and failings of local officials.

The hands-on role of Barker led, predictably, to professional wrestling-style controversies and attacks on the judge.

In 1992, then-Democratic Party chairman Phil Nichols called for an investigation of Barker after she rendered irrelevant a local board that had been overseeing the project. After Barker's legal stand-ins on the jail project called local political leaders a "cancer" on the city of Muncie, Nichols said the judge was engaging in "a sham" aimed at "destroying" the Democratic Party.

Of course, some local newspaper editors got in on the act. Reporters writing about the jail project covered it aggressively for years and their editors often jumped in with both feet.

Among the most attention-grabbing was a local editor who frequently wrote columns calling Barker's decisions into question and dubbing her "Queen Sarah."

Barker's response? She said one such column was "a complete, total distortion," and attorneys involved in the case said the newspaper's editorial columns were "juvenile" and "perverted."

Commission wants Alexander benched

It's been 15 months since the commission filed a two-count complaint against Alexander, alleging he violated conduct rules - several years earlier - in his representation of clients in the Outback Steakhouse lawsuit, and in allowing a disbarred attorney to work in his office.

At a Feb. 28 hearing, Alexander largely admitted to, and apologized for, the violations. Wayne County Judge Darren Dolehanty, appointed hearing officer in the case, later recommended the Supreme Court - which will ultimately decide the Muncie attorney's fate - publicly reprimand the Muncie attorney.

In a memorandum filed last week, Charles Kidd, deputy executive secretary for the disciplinary commission, recommended a harsher penalty.

"Based on the fact in aggravation that this is the respondent's fourth disciplinary action, the commission submits that a public reprimand depreciates the significance of the prior sanctions imposed by the (Supreme) Court," Kidd wrote.

Kidd did not recommend how long the suspension should be, but referred to other cases in which lawyers lost their law licenses for 60 to 180 days.

TV screens up at City Hall

If you haven't been lucky enough to attend a session of Muncie City Court or a meeting of Muncie City Council lately, you might not have noticed that flat screen TVs have been installed in several spots in the building's auditorium.

At last week's meeting of the board of works, street superintendent Duke Campbell used them to show video of a piece of paving equipment he hopes the city buys.

The TVs could offer tell-tale hints that you've spoken too long at a public meeting, however. If city council members have tuned in to "Duck Dynasty" while you're at the podium, you've lost their interest.

Stuffed mushrooms still available?

One last thing: We reported in recent days that Dennis Maloy, newly-hired chief of Energize-ECI, was "separated" from the organization after firing off an angry email to an Indianapolis business owner.

A "welcome to Muncie" reception had been scheduled for this week for Maloy.

Just two things we don't know: Were the hors d'oeuvres already ordered? If so, who gets custody of the jalapeno poppers?

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W/R REPORT: A semi-farewell to 'Queen Sarah'

It's hard to imagine the circumstances in which newspaper editors and political leaders alike were actively engaged in a feud with a federal court judge, but it happened here in Delaware County in